Teachers' front burns minister's effigy over salary cut, OPS

On a call by the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha and the Democratic Teachers' Front, hundreds of teachers today burnt the effigy of Education Minister Harjot Bains and raised slogans against the government amid rain.

Addressing teachers gathered in front of the Phillaur Tehsil Complex, state convener of the Joint Teachers' Front Surinder Kumar Puari, district conveners Karnail Phillaur and Avtar Mehsampur said employees, farmers, labourers and students had high hopes from the government, but the hopes of all sections were dashed.

The government formed with two agendas, education and health, has pushed Punjab backward in both sectors, they said. The Education Minister even after calling teachers' meeting, and agreeing to their demands was now backing out. After the block tehsil-level effigy-burning protests, a huge rally would be held at Anandpur Sahib on March 8, union members added.

They said the salary cut letter of PTIs/Arts and Crafts teachers should be withdrawn, all vacant posts in the promotions of lecturers and master cadres should be highlighted and station selection should be conducted again; computer teachers should be shifted to the Education Department instead of the PICTE Society; salary revision and dearness allowance should be implemented; anti-teacher rules of 2018 should be repealed; Education Policy 2020 should be repealed and Punjab's education policy should be formed; the salary cut letter of teachers who participated in the national strike of February 16, 2024, should be withdrawn; the old pension scheme should be restored; taking various non-academic work from teachers, including BLO, should be stopped immediately; work of transfers should be completed before the new session; the transfer portal for special categories should be opened every month.

Jaspal Sandhu, Kavish Walia, Rupesnar Garha, Lekh Raj Punjabi, Jasdeep Singh, Harish Kumar, Jagjit Singh Randhawa, Vishal Saini, Rajwinder Singh, Jasvir Singh, Kamal Sharma, Balvir Kumar, Rishi Raj, Sukhwinder Ram, Kamal Bhardwaj, Rakesh Kumar, Jagsir, Deepak Kumar, Jatinder Moga, Madam Sita, Pawan Kumar, Surjit Singh, Satwinder Singh, Sukesh Kumar, Satish Kumar, Prem Pal Aujla, Hari Yadav, etc. were present on the occasion.